Sophia Loren, born Sofia Villani Scicolone, is an Italian actress, considered one of the greatest performers in the history of cinema. She began her career in the 1950s, rapidly rising to prominence with films such as Vittorio De Sica's "L'oro di Napoli" (1954). Her fame soon became international, leading her to work in Hollywood. Her most celebrated performance is in the drama "La ciociara" (1960), for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1962, the first ever given for a performance in a non-English language film. Her artistic partnership with Marcello Mastroianni was historic, and they starred together in masterpieces such as "Ieri, oggi, domani" (1963) and "Matrimonio all'italiana" (1964). Her long and acclaimed filmography also includes titles such as "Una giornata particolare" (1977). Among her numerous awards, in addition to a second Academy Award (an honorary one for her career) in 1991, are the Volpi Cup at the Venice Film Festival and the Best Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival.